# Calibrating a Hygroset II



## dave8274 (Mar 6, 2007)

Having a tough time with this, I seem to have thrown it completely out of whack. 

When you adjust the knob by clicking 4 times clockwise for example and then hit the set button, do you then return the knob to the starting point or leave it where you adjusted it to?

I started off adjusting this thing thinking I only needed to adjust it up 5% and now it seems to be low by about 15%, so I am not sure what I've done to the thing.


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## Aficionado82 (Jul 5, 2010)

I adjusted mine by moving it 4 tick lines clockwise since mine was -4%. I don't think you have to actually hear it click everytime. It can be very confusing because they say "click". After moving mine 4 of those tick lines I hit the reset button and re-did the salt test for another 12 hours and it was spot on. Hope this helps brother.


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## dave8274 (Mar 6, 2007)

Aficionado82 said:


> I adjusted mine by moving it 4 tick lines clockwise since mine was -4%. I don't think you have to actually hear it click everytime. It can be very confusing because they say "click". After moving mine 4 of those tick lines I hit the reset button and re-did the salt test for another 12 hours and it was spot on. Hope this helps brother.


Do you leave the knob 4 clicks to the right after you hit the reset button or do you return it to the original position, or does it not matter?


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## Aficionado82 (Jul 5, 2010)

dave8274 said:


> Do you leave the knob 4 clicks to the right after you hit the reset button or do you return it to the original position, or does it not matter?


yes, I left the knob 4 ticks ahead of where it started. Once you move it, then you reset and you leave it alone. That's how I calibrated my 2 hygroset II's


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

Dave,

If you have beads, I would strongly recommend setting thy hygro according to the beads. Put a small quantity of half-charged beads in a ziplock with the hygrometer. Let sit for 48hrs. Set the hygro to whatever beads you're using. In the case of 65% beads, set the hygro to 65%,

The reason for this is that cheap hygros like the Hydroset have extremely small sensors and can be off by as much as 5% at 65% rH, if calibrated using a 75% salt test.

Also, make sure your calibration is done at the same temp you store your sticks.


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## dave8274 (Mar 6, 2007)

Herf N Turf said:


> Dave,
> 
> If you have beads, I would strongly recommend setting thy hygro according to the beads. Put a small quantity of half-charged beads in a ziplock with the hygrometer. Let sit for 48hrs. Set the hygro to whatever beads you're using. In the case of 65% beads, set the hygro to 65%,
> 
> ...


I do use 65% beads, so I will try this.

Thanks! Still curious about replacing the dial after hitting the set button though, as currently my calibration is off by more ticks available on the dial.


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

If your instrument is off by more than the available calibration range, it's defective and should be replaced.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

Herf N Turf said:


> Dave,
> 
> If you have beads, I would strongly recommend setting thy hygro according to the beads. Put a small quantity of half-charged beads in a ziplock with the hygrometer. Let sit for 48hrs. Set the hygro to whatever beads you're using. In the case of 65% beads, set the hygro to 65%,
> 
> ...


Please explain Don as you have lost me on this one. I always read your posts because you are a very knowledgeable BOTL not to mention a great guy as well.
If the sensors are off by as much as 5% they will be off on the beads as well. 
The salt test is a proven 75% the beads are a proven 65% for arguments sake. So if the sensors are off using either the beads or the salt test as a constant. What does it matter which you set it to they are both constants.:dunno:


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## Aficionado82 (Jul 5, 2010)

Herf N Turf said:


> If your instrument is off by more than the available calibration range, it's defective and should be replaced.


I agree with Don. There is no way it should be off by that much.


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## dave8274 (Mar 6, 2007)

dave8274 said:


> I do use 65% beads, so I will try this.
> 
> Thanks! Still curious about replacing the dial after hitting the set button though, as currently my calibration is off by more ticks available on the dial.


That's what I was saying... It WASN'T off by that much when I got it, but somehow I CAUSED it to be off by that much trying to calibrate it. After some more playing around with it yesterday and leaving it in the bag with the salt overnight, it was dead on at 75% this morning, but when I put it in a humidor I KNOW is at 65% it showed 68%. So right now, I'm doing it Don's way and its in a bag with a tube of beads. I'll see if it stays.

Still looking for an answer to my other question though, hopefully someone knows. IF it is still off by 3%, and I click it 3 ticks counterclockwise and hit "set" top calibrate it, do I then turn the knob back to center or do I leave it where it is?


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## Aficionado82 (Jul 5, 2010)

dave8274 said:


> That's what I was saying... It WASN'T off by that much when I got it, but somehow I CAUSED it to be off by that much trying to calibrate it. After some more playing around with it yesterday and leaving it in the bag with the salt overnight, it was dead on at 75% this morning, but when I put it in a humidor I KNOW is at 65% it showed 68%. So right now, I'm doing it Don's way and its in a bag with a tube of beads. I'll see if it stays.
> 
> Still looking for an answer to my other question though, hopefully someone knows. IF it is still off by 3%, and I click it 3 ticks counterclockwise and hit "set" top calibrate it, do I then turn the knob back to center or do I leave it where it is?





Aficionado82 said:


> yes, I left the knob 4 ticks ahead of where it started. Once you move it, then you reset and you leave it alone. That's how I calibrated my 2 hygroset II's


You don't turn the knob back after resetting. You leave the knob exactly where it is. Once you move the knob the amount of "dashes" you need and hit reset, you leave the hygro alone. Hope that helps.


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## dave8274 (Mar 6, 2007)

Aficionado82 said:


> You don't turn the knob back after resetting. You leave the knob exactly where it is. Once you move the knob the amount of "dashes" you need and hit reset, you leave the hygro alone. Hope that helps.


Thanks!

That is sort of what I figured from the instructions, but I was confused because it seemed to me that if you were leaving the knob a few ticks over, what was the purpose of the set button?


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## Aficionado82 (Jul 5, 2010)

dave8274 said:


> Thanks!
> 
> That is sort of what I figured from the instructions, but I was confused because it seemed to me that if you were leaving the knob a few ticks over, what was the purpose of the set button?


The reset button adjusts the hygro. It resets to the new % reading. The instructions are not the best with these hygros, they can be very confusing.


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## dave8274 (Mar 6, 2007)

Herf N Turf said:


> Dave,
> 
> If you have beads, I would strongly recommend setting thy hygro according to the beads. Put a small quantity of half-charged beads in a ziplock with the hygrometer. Let sit for 48hrs. Set the hygro to whatever beads you're using. In the case of 65% beads, set the hygro to 65%,
> 
> ...


Wow.. so at the temp I keep my cigars, the salt test was dead on at 75%. Put a tube of 65% beads instead of the salt in a bag at the same temp and several hours later my Hygrometer is showing 59%. I'll give it the full 48 hours, but I'm amazed that it could be dead on at 75% and so far off at 65%.


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

TonyBrooklyn said:


> Please explain Don as you have lost me on this one. I always read your posts because you are a very knowledgeable BOTL not to mention a great guy as well.
> If the sensors are off by as much as 5% they will be off on the beads as well.
> The salt test is a proven 75% the beads are a proven 65% for arguments sake. So if the sensors are off using either the beads or the salt test as a constant. What does it matter which you set it to they are both constants.:dunno:


What I am saying, Tony, is that these instruments have a very narrow effective range of accuracy. Let's say that range is 10% rH. That means it will be relatively accurate between 70 and 80% when calibrated at 75% using the salt method. Anywhere above, or below that, your readings will be skewed by as much as 5%. Hence, my recommendation for calibration at precisely the conditions you wish to be your set point.

When laboratories send their instruments in for recalibration, the calibration is not done at 75%, but rather at the point where the instrument is intended to operate.

That clear it up?


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

Herf N Turf said:


> What I am saying, Tony, is that these instruments have a very narrow effective range of accuracy. Let's say that range is 10% rH. That means it will be relatively accurate between 70 and 80% when calibrated at 75% using the salt method. Anywhere above, or below that, your readings will be skewed by as much as 5%. Hence, my recommendation for calibration at precisely the conditions you wish to be your set point.
> 
> When laboratories send their instruments in for recalibration, the calibration is not done at 75%, but rather at the point where the instrument is intended to operate.
> 
> That clear it up?


I am sorry Don i don't follow.
But as always i am more than sure you know what you are talking about.
So i will just take your word for it.:focus:


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## Herf N Turf (Dec 31, 2008)

TonyBrooklyn said:


> I am sorry Don i don't follow.
> But as always i am more than sure you know what you are talking about.
> So i will just take your word for it.:focus:


Actually, that is the topic and I'm pretty sure if you're not getting it, someone else isn't either.

I'll try another way...

Let's say the above mentioned lab needs to grow something at 80% rH and 80%. They will send their hygrometer back for calibration to precisely that condition.

Likewise, if we wish our hygrometers to read accurately, but we calibrate them to 75%, they will be less accurate at 65%, since it is well outside their "window" of accuracy. An NIST certified hygrometer is typically accurate +/- 2% at the entry level. This doesn't mean they are that accurate everywhere, ONLY at the %rH to which they've been calibrated.

The el cheapos most cigar guys use are far less accurate than the certified cousins. If we calibrate them to 65% and 70*, we are calibrating them in the center of their range of accuracy and therefore more likely to get an accurate reading. We have set 65% to be the median for the unit's given range of accuracy.

Whew. Please tell me that worked.


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## dave8274 (Mar 6, 2007)

Don, that makers perfect sense 

I'm starting to think something is wrong with the unit itself. After thinking I had it calibrated in the bag with the beads, I put it in a full humidor that has another, already calibrated hygrometer in it that I know to be at 65% RH. A few hours later (this humidor has plenty of beads and rebounds quickly from opening) I open it and my Hygroset is at 68%. I put it down 3 clicks, go to bed, take a look this morning and it's at 60%. Seems that the number of tic marks I adjust this thing has no effect on how much it actually adjusts.


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## TonyBrooklyn (Jan 28, 2010)

Herf N Turf said:


> Actually, that is the topic and I'm pretty sure if you're not getting it, someone else isn't either.
> 
> I'll try another way...
> 
> ...


Gottcha thanks for the clarification!eace:


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